Seville cathedral is the largest gothic building in Europe and when I arrived it had one of the continents larger queues outside as a result of opening late due to some civic function. So I went on to the Alcazar next door, a large palace based on a 10th century Muslim palace but added to over the centuries and contining moorish, rennaisance and neoclassical architecture.

Seville Alcazar

It also has lovely gardens, in a series of differently styled areas flowing into one another. In the area called the English Garden, there were peacocks and the whole place was full of the constant coo of doves, small birds calling, peacocks crying and even a few ducks quacking. It was cool and shady with grass, trees, fountains and seats. I had to tear myself away to get back to the Cathedral before it closed for siesta at 2pm.

Seville Alcazar gardens

The cathedral was indeed lofty and vaulted as you might expect of a large gothic building but it also had some later more baroque areas added on, including the sacristy (with enough reliquaries to create a small pathology display) and treasury. There is the obligatory over the top gold main altar (even bigger than Cordoba’s) and the tomb of Christopher Columbus. I was taken by the triangular decoration over the side door by the tourist entrance: